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death_n	body_n	live_v	sin_n	8,670	5	5.0764	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09976	The lavv out lavved or, The charter of the Gospell shewing the priviledge and prerogative of the saints by vertue of the covenant Wherein these foure points of doctrine are properly observed, plainely proved, both by Scripture, and reason: and pithily applyed. Viz: doctrine 1 That he that is in the state of grace lyeth in no knowne sinne, no sinne hath dominion over him. 2 That sinne though it doth not raigne in the saints, yet it doth remaine and dwell in them. 3 That the way to overcome sinne, is to get assurance of the love, and grace, and favour of God, whereby it is forgiven them. 4 That whosoever is under the law, sinne hath dominion over him. By that late faithfull and worthy minister of Iesus Christ. Iohn Preston. Doctor in divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to his Majestie, master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolnes Inne.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.	1633 (1633)	STC 20230; ESTC S110464	16,083	20

THE LAW OVT LAVVED OR The Charter of the Gospell shewing the priviledge and prerogative of the Saints by vertue of the Covenant Wherein these foure points of doctrine are properly observed Plainely proved both by Scripture and reason and pithily applyed VIZ Doctrine 1 That he that is in the state of grace lyeth in no knowne sinne no sinne hath dominion over him 2 That sinne though it doth not raigne in the Saints yet it doth remaine and dwell in them 3 That the way to overcome sinne is to get assurance of the Love and grace and favour of God whereby it is forgiven them 4 That whosoever is under the Law sinne hath dominion over him By that late faithfull and worthy Minister of Iesus Christ IOHN PRESTON Doctor in divinity Chaplaine in ordinary to his Majestie Master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge and sometimes preacher of Lincolnes Inne Let not sinne therefore raigne in your mortall bodies that you should obey the lusts thereof Rom. 6. 12. EDINBVRGH Printed by Iohn Wreittoun 1633. Romans 6. 14. For sinne shall not have dominion over you for you are not under the law but under grace THese words are brought in thus the Apostle exhortes them not to sinne but to give their members as instruments unto righteousnes and to move them to this he tels them that sin was not their Lord now as it was heeretofore and that it shall have no more dominion over them and therefore he bids them strive against it and then he adds a reason of this because they were not under the law but under grace now Christ hath changed their hearts for while a man is under the Law sinne hath dominion over him it tels him what to doe but gives him no power to doe it but you have the grace of sanctification to change your hearts and enable you to every good word and worke so that you delight in the Law after the inner man albeit you see another law in your members roaring against the Law in your minde and bringing you into captivity to the law of sin which is your members as it is said in the 7. chapter and the 23. verse Whence wee may learne Doct That hee that is in the state of grace lyeth in no knowne sinne no sinne hath dominion over him Now sinne is said to have no Dominion over a man three manner of wayes viz. in regard Q It hath no right to rule over him it is no more our Lord but is as a servant that hath no dominion but is said to offer violence to us as if the King of Spaine should rule over us he hath no dominion over us Secondly In regard it s not obeyed for there it hath dominion as a Prince may have right to a kingdome yet he be not obeyed he hath no dominion Thirdly in regard though it strive against us yet it never gets the victory for though it a●… us yet if it g●t not the victory it hath no dominion over us this is proved by their similitudes which must bee explained viz. First it was our Master and we its servants but n●w we have changed our Masters and are become the servants of righteousnes Secondly it is said that we were married to sinne and it had dominion vers 8 and command over us as the husband over the wife but now it is dead and there is a divorce betweene us and now wee are married to Christ and hee commands us and wee obey Thirdly it is said we were dead to sinne and alive to God and therefore verse 6 we cannot live in sinne for command a dead body to goe about a bussinesse and hee cannot because hee is dead Quest. Now the reasons of the point bee these the is taken from Christ all wee are ingrafted into Christ and Reas into his death and into the similituds of his resurrection verse 5. that we are grafted as a graft into Christ and all the old sappes taken away and we have new sap and bring foorth new fruite and have no other because we grow in another tree and wee live to God yet wee may commit sinne though we allow not our selves in it for they that are in Christ have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof if therefore there be any lust in him he is not Christ Againe if any man bee in Christ he is new creature and therefore he doth not wallow in hisould sinnes so saith God I will give you a new heart and all things are become new and old things are done away therefore wee cannot lye in any knowne sinne Againe whosoever is in Christ hath receaved of his fullnes grace for grace in him we are able to doe all things and therefore if we cannot strive against old sinnes wee are not in Christ and therefore wee must strive to bee compleat Secondly because we have the Spirit of God ruling in us and therefore Reas we walke after the Spirit and not after the flesh now if wee lye in any knowne sinne we have not the Spirit and therefore are not in the state of grace if any man have not the Spirit of grace he is not the Sonne of God now if he walke after the flesh he hath not the Spirit for the spirit gives him ability to strive against all sinnes Thirdly he is borne of God now ●ee that is borne of God sinneth not that is it ruleth not over him for a man is said to sinne that favours wickednes and setteth his heart to sinne he sinneth not because he is like God as a sonne is like his father and therefore a wicked man is like the devill because hee is his Father and his wickednes is in him and therefore the devill is called the ●ather of the wicked and so every regenerat man hath all the righteousnes of Christ though not in the same degree he hath perfective holynes of parts though not of degrees now then he hath no member of Satan in him that is no known sinne which hee loveth Fourthly because he hath the whole law written in his heart and Reas his heart is set to obey the whole law and therefore he cannot lye in any knowne sinne Fifthly because hee is wholly changed and translated to another man Reas which is exprest two wayes Quest The whole drift of his minde is changed as suppose the earth were made fire the whole vent of it were to goe upward so a man is wholly bent towards heaven or els his heart is not changed and if so hee can lye in no knowne sinne Sixtly he is changed in his tast S. Paul saith they that are in Christ Reas savour not the things of the flesh but of the spirit every sinne is bitter to the regenerate man if it bee not then hee savoureth the things of the flesh to this is that agreable keepe this feast with vnleavened bread and not with old leaven of maliciousnes we must be unleavened bread to Christ wee must give no allowance to sinne

Sanctitication sinne is not wholly abolished in the Saints in this life but doth dwell in them To humble us and to make us see what is our hearts and to Reas make us know that the Lord bringeth us to the holy Land therefore God sometimes left the Israelites to trye them and so hee troubled Hezechiah to know what was in his heart and so hee sent a Messinger of Satan to buffet S. Paul least hee should bee exalted above measure through aboundance of Revelations and so the Lord doth deale with everie Saint That Christ may bee acknowledged for if wee had no sinne in us Reas we should acknowledge the benefits of his mediation so much as now wee doe all are shut up under sinne that hee might have mercie upon Rom 3 9 all Rom. 3. 9. that is that it might bee manifested and declared that they are saved meerely by the mercie of God in Christ as is said afterward verse the 26. otherwise we should not rightly value our justification and sanctification but seeing him subduing pardoning our sinnes wee see what neede wee have of him how that wee are lost without him That wee might exercise our faith 1. Iohn 3. wee are the sonnes Reas of God but it doth not yet appeare what it shall bee but c. so GOD hath hidde his children under basenesse that their faith might bee exercised for things wee see we may easily believe but faith is of things not seene therefore God doth as men doe hyde jewells under base places where men would looke least for them wherefore wicked men stumble and are offended at this because they doe not believe it and therefore it is made an article of our faith that wee neede and believe the remission and forgiuenesse of sinnes but let us apply it 1. This should teach us not to be discouraged for those infirmities that Vse 1 are in us for there are such in everie Saint if he find he striveth against them and findeth such successe in it sinne is a guest to evill men but a theefe to the godly which they would not have come in their hearts so it is one thing to weare a chaine as an ornament and another as a fetter to restraine them therefore they ought not to bee discouraged but to assure themselves they are under grace 2. Wee must not censure men for these slippes and falls wee see in Vse 2 them for wee must remember that sinne dwelleth in them wee must not presently judge them to bee hypocrites Bee not many masters sayeth S. Iames that is censure him not for hee standeth or falleth to his owne conscience 3. This should teach us to bee watchfull and not to thinke our labour Rom 4 4. is at an end when we are in the state of grace for sinne still dwelleth in us and though wee have the victorie over sinne one day it will fight against us the next daye as in a garden the weedes will grow because the rootes are not quite plucked up and taken away so sinne is in us and therefore we must thinke it will fight against us and vexe us and therefore I say let us renue our strength Now for this we must doe these two things First weaken sinne Secondly pray to God to make us watchfull And so I have also done with the second doctrine againe from the latter part of these words or reason of the promise made unto them in in the former part of this verse that sin shall not have dominion over them because they are not under the Law but under grace I gather this conclusion viz. That the way to overcome sinne is to get assurance of the love and Doct grace of God and that it is forgiven them the reason why the Apostle promises them sin shall not have dominion over them is because they are not under the law but under grace that is they had assurance of Gods love and that it is forgiven them this is proved from that faith purifieth the heart and you repent and believe the gospell Now the reasons heereof are th●se foure especially 〈…〉 2 Q. Because it is the meanes to get the spirit without which no sin is forgiven which commeth by saith for it is not receaved by the law for so saith the apostle receaved you the spirit by the works of the law Ans or by the deeds of faith Secondly the way to make us believe the promises to make us believe that we are transformed into a heavenly nature for when we believe Reas the promises are true that workes love in as a●d love transformeth us into the divine nature without which no sinne is overcome Thirdly because heereby we are able to resist the tentations which Reas are either for the injoying of good or ●●eing of evill so that these promises propound more good then sin can harme sinne threatned the love of outward things but the promises propound eternall life which is better then all things else in the world Fourthly because we doe delight in God for when we doe believe in Vse 1 God that our sinnes are forgiven us in Christ then wee looke at God as on a mercy●ull Father and then wee cease to delight in the world we begin to delight our selves in the Lord. 1. First for direction to teach us the way how to heale a sinne Vse 2 and that it is to get assurance that is pardoned forgiven for legal terrours doe not heale a sin but is faith that purifies the heart and purifying pacifies it as a Traytor will not come in when he heares a proclamation o●t for his death but when he heares he shalllive and be pardoned this makes him to come in so we when we only fixe our eyes upon the legal terrours we shall not heale our sins but when we belieue they are pardoned this heales them But sorrow and a broken heart are required for sinners to be assured Obiect of their forgivennes Ans This sorrow is not so much commanded but it is that whereby God prepareth his servants hearts to make them see what need they have of pardon and so they may aske pardon but the sorrow commanded is that which followes beliefe for the more I believe the promises the more I shall grieve for displeasing him Quest But what is the way to get assurance of the forgivennes of our sins may some say I answere that that bee done which is to be done on our part Ans believed which God hath promised Q. The things to be done on our part are these Confession plainely and truely wee must confesse them to God and to man when we our selves cannot overcome them Secondly contrition which is when a man is not stubborne and resisteth Gods will and will please himselfe to get his heart broken Hab ● ● he saith as saint Paul saith Lord what wilt thou have me to doe and then we are subject to his will to him will I looke that is of a contrite heart Thirdly

desertion or forsaking of sin for he that forsaketh not his sins shall not prosper which is when we having the like occasions yet Pro●● 6. wil not give way to him but follow our owne lusts Secondly That that bee believed which God hath promised and that is that as he hath said hee will forgive our sins upon such and such conditions so we believe it and to make us to doe this these motions may perswade us motive Q. Because hee is mercyfull in whose mercy there are three things all very materiall and moving First it is natural to him he is not wearying of shewing mercy as the eye is not weary of seing nor the eare in hearing no more is God in shewing mercy but in us it is not naturall but an infused quality and therefore we are weary when men provooke us often Secondly his mercy is infinite but in men it is not so therefore come within compasse of this quality and he will exercise it for no sin is beyond Gods mercy this keepeth us from despaire for though they be great yet God is able to forgive them as the raine watereth as well the great field as the little garden and as the Sunne shines as well on mountaines as on Molehills and as it disperseth the thick mist as well as the least thinne cloud so doth Gods mercy passe by great sinnes as well as little But if our sins be exceeding great aggravated with circumstances Obs and often committed then we cannot imagine that God will forgive us This is answered by the Prophet Isaiah God is more mercyfull than Sol. man can be sinfull hee is more mercyfull than wee can imagine my Isay 55 thoughts are as much above your thoughts as the heaven is above the earth Thirdly we see much mercy in men and in the mother of a child now it is but a drop out of the ocean of Gods mercy but as a sparke to the whole element of fire if you being evill can give good things to your children how much more shall your heavenly Father c. see what the scripture saith I am mercy●ull forgiving iniquity transgression sin the first word signifies originall sinne the second actuall the third rebellion all which God can forgive Secondly because it is the end of Christs comming unto the world motive now no man will doe any thing especially so great a matter as to kill himselfe for no end Christ then dyed for the forgivenes of sins This ● Tim ● ●5 saint Paul urgeth the end of Christs cōming was to save sinners otherwise the crosse of Christ had beene of none effect and his mediation of no use if men did not commit sinnes or if God should not forgive them therefore God must needs be ready to forgive Thirdly because God bes●echeth us to be reconciled unto him throgh motive Christ now if God doth this if we seeke earnestly he will heare us the prodigall being willing to come home to his Father he met him and receaved him joyfully so doth God he chargeth his ministers to compell men to come in that is to preach Gods mercy that he will forgive their sinnes and therefore the most acceptable action to God is to bring a sinner to him Fourthly the charge laid on us to believe we are charged on the paine of death to believe and therefore it is most profitable for us and most pleasing to him he takes it well at our hands that we should believe by the hand of faith lay hold on him which he would not doe if hee were not ready to forgive Ioh 3. 23. Fifthly from the examples of others let us see what God hath done for them and it will make us believe he forgave Manasses as well as Ioshua he pardoned Mary Magdalen as well as Elizabeth and Paul as well as Peter he hath forgiven the greatest sins as well as the least and he will also deale so with us Motive Sixtly from the effects of it which are these Q. It glorifieth God much Abraham believed glorified God much for the greater the sinner is the more honour is given to God as the physitian hath the greatest glory by curing the greatest wound so God hath the greatest glory by forgiving the greatest sinnes which wound the soule even to death Secondly It moveth us to love God the more Mary loved much because much was forgiven her Thirdly it mollifies the most it causeth them to relent and weep much more this is plaine by that place where it is said that when God forgave the greatest sins then they mourned and lamented as in these converts Fourthly it purifies the heart for no man lookes to keep his heart Acts. 2 37 pure untill he be assured of the forgivennes of his sinnes for till then he cannot looke on God as on a father but on the contrary when the sin is not forgiven God looseth the glory of being a father and the glory of his trueth and of his mercy and that hardens the heart from relenting 7 from the price which was payed and which no sin can goe beyond motive indeed if Christ had payed but a finite pryce we feare that our sins should not be forgiven if a man were in debt two thousand pound and there were one payd he might be discouraged but when there is infinitly more payd then the debt is this should make us believe our sins are forgiven us whatsoever they be seing they be all but finit Eightly from the tenour of the promises which proclaime that they that believe and repent and forsake their sins shall find pardon for thē as a King that proclames that all traitors and rebels shall be pardoned if they would lay downe their weapons now non est excipi●ndum ubi lex non excipit there is no exception to be made where the law maks none God saith yea therefore hath said and sworne it that he will forgive our sins that we may believe it But I have comitted the sinne oft Yet God will forgive thee though thou hast oft committed whooredome Ans yet I will forgive thee if thou tu●ne unto mee saith the Lord by the Prophet of the house of Israel Ier. 3. Hence then to make some use o● it as our use is we may learne not to deceave our selves ●o think we are in the state of grace when wee are not for if we did truly believe our sinnes are forgiven us we wold Vse be healed but if we have the same lusts and keep the same company which we did when we were not changed it is a meere delusion what soever we say or thinke And thus much for the third point too there yet remaines one more behind wherewith wee will conclude the whole text and that wee may draw from the contrary to what the Apostle heere saith and indeed it is implyed though not exprest for if sin have no dominion over them that are not under the law but under grace then on the other side must it needs be as true viz That whosoever is vnder the law sin hath dominion over him that Doct 4 is he that refraineth sin only for feare of the law and of judgemnets sin hath dominion over him this is the case of them that refraine sinning only for feare and for the salvation of their soules or for educations sake which have beene brought up in good families or such as repent upon some amazement like the bulrushes which hang downe their heads onely while the showre lasts and that First because all such as are not under grace but under the law have Reas not ●eceaved the spirit which commeth by hearing the gospel and no creature can change one creature into another as lead unto gold or a Wolfe unto a Lamb unles it be by Gods spirit Secondly to such Gods service is burthensome and violent motions last not long they are weary in clamtering up an Hill all naturall motions are swister at the last then at the first but these are like the Israelites who after a tyme would have returned into AEGYPT againe Now then to end all with the tyme let us Q Bee exhorted not to abstaine from any sinne for feare of punishment but consider whether thou wouldest serve God for Gods sake although there were neither heaven nor hell it must be our meat and drinke which men would doe though there were no punishment for the omission of it Blessed is hee that hungereth and thirsteth after righteousnes 2. Hence we may learne not to deferre repentance till death sicknes crosses or age somes then it may be you would not sin though with Balaam you had your housefull of gold and silver for it s not the abstinence from sin that God loveth but the change of the heart Amaziahs heart was not right though he walked in all the wayes of David these are the men that have made a covenant with hell and death but God will dissanull that covenant or it will be but equivocal many have sworne in their sicknes never to commit sin againe which afterward they have committed againe with greedines many have dyed in the same repentance 3. Labour to see your selves doing duties with as much love as you Vse can and with as little feare because perfect love casteth out feare so beloved I have given you a briefe survey of the severall points contained in the portion of holy Scripture wherefore if you know these things happy are yee if ye doe them wherefore that yee may doe them let us call upon God for a blessing on what we have heard FINIS AMEN